Many devices have been utilized to compress blood vessels in various parts of the body to stop the flow of blood therethrough. One of the simplest devices for stopping blood flow is a tourniquet, which is tightened around a limb to stop arterial blood flow to the distal portions of the limb and thereby minimize hemorrhaging from wounds. Several devices have improved upon the basic tourniquet, such as by applying pressure to only selected pressure points instead of around the entire circumference of the limb. Examples of such tourniquet-type devices include those disclosed in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,996 to Blair; U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,459 to Lee; U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,496 to Sachs; U.S. Pat. No. 2,271,927 to Saighman; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,473,041 to Henderson. Each of these devices consist of a band or strap for encircling a patient's limb, which include a pressure pad, button, or similar device to apply pressure to stop the flow of blood through the arteries of the limb.
Other tourniquet-type devices have been specifically designed to prevent bleeding through a needle puncture wound in a patient's forearm caused by, for example, blood withdrawal or an intravenous injection. U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,803 to Geary et al. discloses a hemostasis pressure pad for applying pressure to a puncture site to aid hemostasis. The device comprises an adjustable band or strap that encircles the forearm and a pressure pad that bears against the pressure site to prevent bleeding through the puncture wound. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,109 to Patel; U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,709 to Laerdal; U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,001 to Sanderson; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,338 to Stanulis all disclose similar devices that include a band or strap and a pressure pad to prevent bleeding through a puncture wound in a patient's forearm.
Femoral artery cardiac catheterization procedures have led to the development of other devices designed to prevent post-catheterization wound bleeding at the femoral artery. Representative patents include the following: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,423,852, 5,383,893, and 5,263,966 to Daneshvar; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,957,105 and 4,829,994 to Kurth. These devices each comprise a pelvic wrap that includes a pressure pad, balloon, or similar device for applying pressure at the wound site.
The following patents disclose additional bands or straps that are used in combination with pressure pads for purposes other than occluding the flow of blood, such as for therapeutic purposes: U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,575 to Sebastian; U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,350 to Jacobs; U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,473 to Epler et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,728 to Giarratano; U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,939 to Sakowski; U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,495 to Isaacson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,232 to Terpening; U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,861 to Kelly; U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,028 to Puyana; and U.S. Pat. No. 519,894 to Schutz et al.
One problem that often arises following medical procedures involving an arterial puncture is delay in hemostasis caused by movement of the wounded tissue, such as wrist movement after a radial artery cardiac catheterization procedure. Tissue stretching and contraction caused by movement of a limb joint can prevent clotting and inadvertently reopen wounds. While there are many references that disclose the broad concept of using a strap with a pressure pad to stop the flow of blood through an arterial puncture wound, none of these devices immobilize limb joints adjacent the wounded tissue. Therefore, a need exists for a device that immobilizes a limb joint while simultaneously occluding blood flow.